Savings Radar is a small editorial publication. With a small team and a narrow beat, the only thing keeping us interesting to readers is whether you trust what you read. This page lays out the rules we hold ourselves to.

1. Editorial independence

No advertiser, affiliate program, insurer, telecom, retailer, or financial-services company has any influence over our editorial decisions. We choose what to cover. We decide what wins and what loses. We write the conclusions.

  • We do not accept payment in exchange for reviews or rankings.
  • We do not accept "approval rights" or pre-publication review by companies we cover.
  • We do not run sponsored content disguised as editorial.
  • We are not paid more for ranking one provider higher than another in any roundup.

2. Testing methodology

Every tactic we recommend has been run by at least one member of our team — typically with our own money, against our own bills, for the duration the experiment makes sense. Our standard methodology covers:

  • Real-world conditions. We test using our actual accounts, with our actual statements, against real quotes generated in real time.
  • Reproducible numbers. When we cite a dollar amount, it's tied to a specific statement, screenshot, or receipt we kept.
  • Long-term updates. Pricing and plans change. Pieces get revisited when something material moves.

3. How we sign up for services we cover

The default is: we sign up at retail, with our own credit card, like any other consumer. Occasionally a company offers a complimentary account or extended trial for testing; if we accept one, the conditions are explicit:

  • We may, or may not, write about it.
  • If we write about it, we will say in the article that the account was provided by the company for review.
  • We retain full editorial control. The company does not see drafts.
  • We are not obligated to keep the account; we may cancel.

4. Affiliate links

Some links on this site earn us a commission when you sign up or buy. We disclose this on every relevant page and in our Affiliate Disclosure. Affiliate availability is never used to decide what wins or loses a recommendation.

5. Sourcing and accuracy

We work hard to get specifics right. Prices, plan terms, and APRs come from the company's own published materials, retailer listings, or our own statements where applicable. When we cite a number we didn't measure, we link to the source. When we make a subjective claim ("this rep was pleasant"), we say so.

6. Use of AI tools

We use AI tools the way a writer might use spell-check or a thesaurus: as a drafting and editing aid, not as a substitute for first-hand experience. We do not publish wholesale AI-generated reviews, AI-fabricated savings numbers, or AI-generated screenshots of statements as if they were our own. Every published piece is grounded in actual human experience with actual money.

7. Imagery

Photos and illustrations on this site are either taken by us, generated by us as clearly illustrative editorial graphics, or licensed from stock libraries. We do not pass off company marketing imagery as our own. When an image shows a redacted statement or quote, the redactions are real and the source document is on file.

8. Corrections

We make mistakes; when we find them, we fix them. Our policy:

  • For factual errors, we correct the article and add a "Correction" note at the bottom describing what changed and when.
  • For minor copy edits (typos, broken links), we update silently.
  • If a price or plan changes meaningfully after publication, we add an "Update" note rather than rewriting history.

Spot something wrong? Email hello@savingsradar.org with the subject line "Correction." We take corrections seriously.

9. Conflicts of interest

If a member of our team has any personal or financial relationship with a company we are covering — for example, a family member who works there, or holdings in a publicly traded parent company — we either disclose it in the relevant article or recuse that team member from the coverage.

10. Not financial advice

Savings Radar is editorial journalism, not personal financial advice. Nothing on this site is a recommendation tailored to your specific situation. We talk about what worked for us, with the numbers we used, against the bills we had. Your circumstances will differ. Where stakes are higher — insurance limits, credit decisions, tax-related choices — talk to a licensed professional.

11. User comments and submissions

This site does not currently host public comments. We sometimes incorporate reader feedback into articles; when we do, we either anonymize the reader or attribute the quote with their explicit permission.

12. Updates to these standards

These standards will evolve as the publication does. We'll log significant updates here and date them. Last updated: May 13, 2026.

Questions?

Standards and ethics questions are some of the messages we most want to receive. Email hello@savingsradar.org.